The following article was included in the Star Democrat for Labor Day Weekend, 8/31/97. The article was saved by Susan Kilmon (her handwriting), and was recently discovered in a pile of articles by her granddaughter, Sarah Kilmon - the cooing 1 year old in this story.

What began as a surplus store founded by two brothers has become a living testament to American resilience and innovation—fueled by love stories, legendary visits, groundbreaking inclusivity, and generations of hardworking men and women who trusted Cherry’s Store to outfit their lives. While the Cherry Store closed its doors in 2007, its legacy of craftsmanship, community, and enduring family spirit has been carried on by future generations. The Cherry family will celebrate what would have been the store’s 99th anniversary this year.

On the Eastern Bay of Maryland’s Chesapeake lies the quiet village of Claiborne. Today, it's known for its scenic views and once-thriving ferry dock connecting it to Baltimore and the Western Shore. But few realize that the village carries the name of a figure central to one of the earliest territorial disputes in American colonial history: William Claiborne.

Discover the history and meaning behind the Talbot County seal, from its red lion and Latin motto to the legacy of Grace Calvert Talbot and the family that inspired it. Explore how heraldry, heritage, and the pursuit of religious freedom shaped this iconic symbol.

Caroline Burnite Walker was a pioneering librarian who founded the Talbot County Free Library in 1925, ensuring free access to books for the community. A nationally recognized leader in children's library services, she believed in the power of literacy and worked tirelessly to bring a library to Talbot County. Thanks to her vision, TCFL continues to serve thousands of residents today.

Mary Elizabeth Banning, a self-taught mycologist from Talbot County, made significant contributions to the study of fungi in the 19th century. Her unpublished manuscript, The Fungi of Maryland, included 174 detailed watercolor illustrations, some depicting species never before recorded. Despite the challenges women faced in science at the time, her passion and meticulous research earned her lasting recognition, including a fungus named in her honor—Hypomyces banningii.

Amelia B. Coppuck Welby, born in St. Michaels in 1819, was a celebrated 19th-century poet known for her lyrical and romantic verse. Writing under the pen name Minstrel-girl, her poetry gained national recognition, with her 1845 collection Poems by Amelia earning praise—even from Edgar Allan Poe. Though her life was brief, her work remains a beautiful part of Talbot County’s literary history.

: Isaiah Fountain was a bold and resourceful African American farmer from Trappe who became the central figure in one of the biggest news stories to occur in Talbot County. In 1919 the Easton Star-Democrat wrote that the Isaiah Fountain case was "one of the most noted in the State's annals." A century later, lawyer and author, Sherrilyn Ifill wrote that the Fountain case "was one of the most notorious on the [Eastern] Shore during the early part of the twentieth century. Ifill also wrote that the case also involved Talbot County's largest incident of mob violence in its history. Today Isaiah Fountain's case is little known.

To continue Black History Month coverage, WMDT presents the life of Nathan Nace Hopkins. The man who helped enslaved people in Talbot County become free. He did that not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally. His great-great-grandchild, Dale Kevin Brown, said his significance to the area is enormous.